Glute Bridge and Hip Thrust are support movements that are often used to strengthen squat glut. They are also used in the world of “underactive” glutbone rehabilitation.
The purpose of this article is to decompose the functional mechanisms of bridges compared to squats. And I’ll explain how it’s possible to train a bridge, but still, you won’t be able to recruit a glut section during a squat.
(From now on, we will use “bridges” to cover the use of both glute bridges and hip thrusts).
How muscles work
Before analyzing squats and bridges, we must start with the principles that allow us to understand how muscles work in isolated exercises like bridges.
“The bridge has high EMG activity. So when performing more functional composite squats, it should be taught to work our glut section. So why doesn’t this happen?”
Many exercise sciences involve strengthening muscles in isolated ways. This isolated method is based on concentric muscle contractions that create shorter movements. In the case of bridges, the glute constricts intensively to generate hip extensions.
In the article called Hip thrust and glute scienceBret Contreras discussed the science of maximizing the glut section, including research into the optimal amount of hip and knee flexion required for maximum EMG measurements. The purpose of this article is not to question his method, as they are correct for the features and goals used, i.e. the maximum glute contraction for maximum hypertrophic gain. Instead, this article shows that bridges are right in improving lute functionality with our goal of squats.
The glute bridge appears to be further developed by using a band around the knee to push the toes (outer rotation). The theory is that performing all three concentric glute muscle actions simultaneously (expansion, aging, external rotation) ensures maximum EMG activity of Gluto.
“Conscious muscle contractions come from isolated movements, but it is impossible to move all muscles in functional (multipurpose) movements.”
High EMG measurements are considered to be extremely important in terms of how good exercise is in muscle adoption. The bridge has more EMG activity. Therefore, when performing a more functional composite squat, it should be taught to work our glut section.
So why doesn’t this happen?
How the body works
On the bridge, you don’t teach glute to squats, just stretch your hips. The bridge operates in a lying face position with the nervous system as good as sleeping. Associate this with a long-term bed rest. This is because muscle atrophy and people have become weaker and have lost their fighting against gravity.
When we lie down, we are no longer fighting gravity. This means that the nervous system throughout the body is experiencing little or no activation. Therefore, when the hips are driven upwards, only neurological drive goes to the glut section. Therefore, there is a high EMG reading for the bridge.
Standing under loads ready to squat, the amount of pressure experienced by the entire nervous system is greater than that of the bridge. As you begin to descent and your hips move towards the floor, there is neurological activity in every muscle in your body. When you squat, all the muscles in your hip joints are shortened and extended at different times, learning how to work as a team to overcome both gravity and the loads moving with force.
This is one of the key factors: why there is a glute bridge it’s not Crouch forward. The body functions as one complete system, with a large neurological conversation taking place between the muscles and completing tasks. When we play the glute bridge, glut learns to work in isolation and rarely has any conversations with muscular friends in the neighborhood. As a result, when we stand up and perform squats, we no longer know that glute needs to contract compared to other muscles that act during the squatting movement of the compound.
“When we play the glute bridge, glut learns to work in isolation and rarely has any conversations with muscular friends in the neighborhood.”
The nervous system works unconsciously to control the movements of all humans. Conscious muscle contractions come from isolated movements, but it is impossible to tell all muscles to work during functional (multi-joint) movements. Because multiple muscles are working, you cannot select the sequence of firing patterns of the muscle. It is impossible to consciously control the complexity of that sequence. Even if you can control the sequence, you’ll be distracted from the task at hand, and you’ll end up failing the lift anyway.
How it works
Muscle sequences are not the only contrasting factors, and mechanisms vary. On the bridge, glute starts at a point with no activity and is then shortened. The glute stores energy, but there is no cycle to reduce the stretch as you would in squats.
During the down phase of the squat, the glute passes through hip flexion, adduction (starting in a relatively adducted position, but squatting and continuing to move inward), and internal rotation. These are the natural mechanics of squat descent.
The knee coupling mechanism is flexion and internal rotation, resulting in internal rotating femurs during the eccentric stage of squat. Please note that I’m not saying that my knees kiss each other. If the knee tracks above the foot, this is the internal rotation of the hip joint.
The down phase creates an extension of glute for movements in all three planes (hip flexion in the sagittal plane, hip adduction in the anterior plane, and internal rotation in the lateral plane). This extension process creates an elastic load that allows the glute to expand and expel explosively and to expel externally, allowing us to stand.
“(l) range of movement means that lute hasn’t learned what to do with the hole at the bottom of the squat.
The above joint movement is not replicated during the bridge as stretch shortening does not occur due to limited movement in which the bridge is being performed. One effect of a bridge is the tension of the glute. In other words, lute can only contract within a range of motion in a shorter range, rather than in large movements like squats. This limited range of motion means that lute has not learned what to do with the hole at the bottom of the squat.
Please enter your lunge
To truly help revitalize Groot, the closest movement to squats is the charge. The hip joint movement is roughly the same – hip flexion, internal rotation, and adduction during descent movement causes the glute to operate through a cycle in which it reduces its stretch. However, there is a small difference between squats and lunges. In a lunge, there is a recoil force on the ground when the feet hit the floor, so squats have a top-down load pattern, so the mechanism is not completely identical.
However, in the lunge, the lute learns how to work with all the other muscles in the hip joint in a coordinated, synchronized sequence of movement. The joint angles are similar to the angle of the squat (front leg), and importantly, the ankles, knees and spine are learning how to move that movement at the hips.. In the bridge, only the hip joint is moved and extended, the ankle and spine are in completely different positions and under different stresses than squats, so the correct pattern of movement and muscle sequence is not learned.
“On the bridge, the ankles and spine are in completely different positions, and only the hips are moving and stretching under different stresses than squats.”
The lunge also allows each leg to operate independently and become stronger in itself. I haven’t yet rated 100% balanced squats. We all have stronger feet and prefer to squat. You need to balance the system.
So, leave and charge! However, doing 30 lunges is not enough to produce the desired change in recruitment of movement patterns. Part 2 of this article will delve into the programming required to significantly change the motor pattern.
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References:
1. Contreras, B. “Hip thrust and glute science.” Glute man. Last changed on April 6, 2013.
2.Worrell Tw. , et al. “The effect of joint position on electromyography and torque generation during maximum spontaneous isometric contraction of hamstrings and gluteus muscle muscles.” J Orthop Sports Phys ther. December 2001; 31 (12): 730-40.
Photo 1 Courtesy of Shutterstock.
Photos 2, 3 and 4 are courtesy of Crossfit Empirical.
